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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. CROSBY 8v F. MOSSBERG.

AUTOMATIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 428,667. ,Patented May 27, 1890.

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' AUTOMATIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

- No. 428,667. Patented May 27, 1890.

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J. H. CROSBY 85 F. MOSSBERG.

AUTOMATIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 428,667. Patented Maya?, 1890.

wlTNEssEs: A INV- Tons :ws co., Puma-mnu, wAsmNm-on n c i UNUSED STATES PATENT Ormea.

JAMES H. CROSBY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND FRANK MOSSBERG, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNORS, B Y MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE CROSBY AUTOMATIC SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

AUTOMATIC SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 'of Letters Patent No. 428,667', dated May 27, 1890.

Application iiled April 4. 1889. SerialiNo. 305,989. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, JAMES H. CROSBY, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, and FRANK MossBnRG, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Operating Signals; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- ro act description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of automatic apparatus foroperating signals operated by steam or air whereby a succession of intermittent blasts or sounds are made by means of a whistle or other suitable device, controlled in number and duration of signals by means of a zo train of clock-work--such an apparatus, for instance, as that described in United States Letters Patent No. 355,639, issued to J. H. Crosby (one of the present applicants) in January, 1887, upon which invention these improvements are made, their object being primarily to effect an automatic winding up of the clock-work employed to regulate vthe action of the apparatus, with a due regard to preventing injury to the same by overwinding.

3o There are also modiiications of some of the parts in shape, position, and mode of operation, as in :the way of using and connecting the piston-rod, manner of cushioning the piston, devices for regulating the clock-fan,

3 5 dto., which are illustrated in the drawings.

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of the signaling apparatus, a part of the front of the cylinder being broken away to show the upper and lower cushioning devices. Fig. 2 is 4o a top view of the cylinder and cross-bars. Fig. 3 shows a vertical cross-section of the winding-connections. Fig. 4 shows a horizontal cross-section of the winding apparatus and its connections. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the fan. Fig. 6 shows a top view of the same. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 show enlarged views of some of the parts of the fan.

The apparatus as modiiied consists of au upright cylinder A, having apiston B iitted to slide steam-tight in it by means of a suitable 5o packing in the usual way of steam-cylinders. The rod a to this piston passes out through a stuffing-box inthe upper head of the cylinder, and has a three-armed cross-bar C attached to its upper end, the arms of which extend out over the cylinder far enough on three sides (see Fig. 2) to receivethe upper ends of the connecting-rods b b b, which are secured to the arms by screw-nuts and extend down on each side of the cylinder to similar cross- 6o bar C', to the arms of which they are fastened in like manner as at the top. These rods b are made long enough to allow the piston to rise to the top of the cylinder without bringing the lower cross-bar against the bottom of the cylinder. A passage c in the lower cylindenhead, which opens into the center of the cylinder, serves both for an admission-port and an exhaust-port for the steam used in the cylinder. This passage is 7o connected by the pipe D to the valve-case F,

to the opposite side of which the steam-supply pipe Gr is connected, and to the lower side of which the exhaust-pipe H is connected.

The necessity for cushioning the piston at I both ends of its stroke has been found in the practical working of the signaling apparatus described in the Letters Patent before mentioned to be very great, as the effect of the momentum of the moving parts is quite de- 8o structive to some portions of the apparatus.

The required cushioning is provided for as follows: To relieve the cylinder A of the air above the piston when it rises, a port d is made in the side of the cylinder, near the top,which 8 5 may open out into the air or be connected by a pipe e to the exhaust-pipe H below. The port d is placed far enough down from the top to be covered by the piston-head before it reaches the upper end of its stroke and cut 9o off a portion of the air from escaping, which amount of air, being confined between the cylinder-head and the piston, serves as a cushion to the latter and to further increase the effect one or more channels f arc made in the inside surface of the cylinder at the top, which channels extend downfar enough for the pisv ton-head to pass over and open their lower ends as it closes the port d, and thus allow the steam from below to pass around to the upper side ot' the piston-head, and thus cheek its motion.

The cushion for the return-stroke of the piston is obtained by making' a recess 71y in the lower (,fylinder-head and putting' a projection g on the under side of the piston-hcad that shall iit closely into the recess, so that when the piston has descended low enough for the end of the projection g] to enter the recess 71y the exhaust of a portion oit the steam is cut off,and it will remain and form a= cushion between the cylindei'l1cad and piston.

The valve for admitting' the steam to the cylinder and to allow it to exhaust is placed in the case F, and is preferably the val ve patented to one ot the present applicants in .'l'une, 188e, No. 81st-,72h but any suitable valve may be used with the apparatus.

The motor used to control the number and duration of the signals is a eloeletrain, and is held in the case J. It maybe run by a Springer weight, and, like the striking-train ot a clock, its speed is governed b v a i an. This fan is shown in Figs. 5 and (i, also in Figs. 7, S, and 9. It has an arrangement for increasi ng' or diminishing the speed ot' the clock, as follows: The fan consists of two wings yn, fastened on a spindlej. The spindle has a screw-threml made on its middle portion and a check-nut 'i iitted thereon. The center of the [an-shaft 7 is enlarged and a slot eut therein to receive the check-nut l'. The spindle oi. the lian passes through the tan-shaft 7 at rig'ht angles to the slot in the shaft, and through. the nut 1', placed in the slot. The nut i, as herein represented, (see Fig'. 7,) is a collar having' a screwthread made on its inside to fit the thread on the spindlej, and it has holes made in its periphery to receive the end el a red or spanner-wrench for the purpose ot' turning' it. This nut i, when turned so as to be in the middle of the slot and not touch citherside thereof, will leave the spindle j free to be turned to set thei'an-wings; butwhen the nut /z is turned on the spindle j in either direction, so as to screw up against one sideof the slot, it will bind up that part of the shaft between the nut and shoulder of the spindle on the outside and prevent the spindle.) trom turning out of position in the shaft of the fan.

The adjustment oi the speed ol' the clock by means of: the fan is as follows: It' t-he i'anwings are placed in a line parallel with the fan-shaft, the point at which they receive the greatest resistance from the air in revolving', (see Fig'. 5,) and itis found that the clocks run too slow, the check-nut i can be loosened and the wings of the i'an set at an angle more or less to the line of the shaft 7, (see Fig. 6,) so as to receive less resistance from the air, and the check-nut 'L' turned up tight against one side of the slot to hold the wings in that position.

The cloclt operates the valve J by means of a cam p, fast on the shaft g. This cam has one or more projections p on its periphery, accordingto the numberof signals to be made in a certain time. 'When the clock is set in motion, the cam j) revolves and one ot' its pro` jections raises the lever 7c, which opens the valve J by its stem c, to which the lever 7a is conn ected. This admits the steam to the cylinder A, which raises the piston l and crossbars C C and draws on the signal-cord m, attached to the lower cross-bar C and having its other end made fast to the valve-level' ot a whistle or other signaling device. lVhen the piston is raised, the signal sound will be made, and the time the piston remains up depends on the speed oi' the clock and the length of the [ace on the projection p of the cam j). -When thecain projection haspasscd out from under the lever 7n, it will drop and let the valve-stein move down, closing the steam-inlet to the cylinder and opening the passage i'rom the same to the exhaust-pipe. The steam will then pass out ofthe cylinder, letting the piston down, and allow the whistlc-valve to close. The clock is kept i'rom starting' b v means ol a friction-lever ,whieh, when desired, comes in contact with the fanshat't or a wheel on that shaft.

Two levers 7.' and 7L" are placed on the front of the clock. The upper one 7.1 is pivoted at a point; between its middle and one end, and the lever 71: is attached to the end ot the lever 71: by a pivot passing through the ends of both levers. A close spiral spring' .9 has its lower end attached to the lever 7.1 at o1' near the junction and its upper end tast to the clock-iframe to drafw those ends of the two levers up, and a lighter close spiral syn-ing' /f is attached to the ii'ree end of lever 7.'. to draw that end down. The lever 7.'. has a projection onits under side that rests on the top ot' the cam j). A rod yr or other similar medium ol' connection is made fast to the free end of the lever 7;/ and is carried up to the pilot-house or ollice or other place from which it is desired to operate the apparatus. A collar s is made fast on the rod fr, so as to engage with the friction-level' t when raised.

To start the clock the rod 1' is drawn up, thereby raising the end of. the lever 7.2 connected to it and depressing its other end and theend of. the lever 7.; pivoted to it. This brings the projection on the latter lever in position to be operated bythe camp. The clocletrain is started at the same time, the friction-lever being` raised from the fan-shaft by the collar .s' on the rod/1', allowing that shaft to turn, and the cam j) will at once commence raising and dropping' the lever 7a and valve-stem, and thus alternately admit and exhaust the steam .to and from the cylinder.

The winding' attachment is shown in Fig'. 8. lt consists of a rod or tube fu, which passes up through an extension of one arm of the cross-bar (i, and a handlea is made fast on its end. The lower end of the rod 'U has a TOO screw-nutty fitted on it. An open spiral spring w 1 s placed on the rod o, the lower end of the spring being made fast to the screw-nut y and its upper end to the top of the case a. This case or tube, which covers rod fu and spring w, has a toothed rack b attached to one slde, the teeth of which engage with a gear-Wheel c', loose on the spring-shaft of the clock. This gear-Wheel c is connected With the spring-case d by a ratchet-Wheel and pawl in the usual Way. (See Fig. 4.)

The clock-spring is Wound up by the motion up of the piston in the cylinder, which draws up the rod v by the cross-bar C, and by means of the spring w raises the case a anda-ack b', which turns the wheel c', that carries the spring case d', by means of a ratchet-Wheel and paWl, as before stated.

The object of the spring w is to prevent overwluding of the clock-spring by yielding` when the clock is Wound clear up and allowing the rod v to be moved up and down by the cross-bar Without moving the case and its rack. To increase the pressure of the spring 'w on its case and make the rack Work With more force on the clock-spring, the rod 1J can be turned by the handle n', and the nut y,be ing held by the end of the spring, Will be screwed up on the rod, so as to compress the spring and cause it to exert more forde on the case at the top.

Having thus described these improvements, what we claim as our invention isl. In an automatic apparatus for operating signals, the rod '22, surrounded by a spiral spring and inclosed in a tube having a toothed rack attached to one of its sides, the teeth of said rack engaging with the teeth of one of a clock-train of Wheels, in combination With a clock-train and a steam-cylinder A, cross-bar C, said cross-bar being attached to the end of a piston-rod operating in said cylinder and to the end of rod u, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an automatic apparatus for operating signals having its signaling operations controlled by a clock-train, an adj stable fan having Wings capable of being turned on a center from a position in Which the plane of the Wings is parallel to the line of the fansliaft to a position in which said plane will be at right angles to the fan-shaft, and a checknut on said fan-center for securing the Wings in any position, in combination with aclocktrain of Wheels, a shaft of said train provided With cam p, and valve-rod o, provided With a lever operated by said cam, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In an automatic apparatus for operating signals havingits signals governed by a clocktrain, the lever la', pivoted to the frame and provided with a starting-rod 0*,pivoted to the said lever at one end, the lever lo, pivoted to the said lever it at its other end, a shaft of the clock-train provided with a cam p, operating said lever k, the valve-rod o, attached to the lever k', and springs s t', connected to said frame and the opposite ends of said lever la, in combination with tube 0.', having rack b thereon, and means for operating said tube, substantially as set forth.

4. In an automatic apparatus for operating signals regulated by a clock-train, the combination of the starting-rod r, having an adjustable collar s,`tl1e brake-lever t, pivoted to the clock-frame, Which When in Contact With the fan-shaft stops the clock and When drawn away from said fan-shaft by collar s allows the clock-train to start, the fan-shaft Z,- providedwith fan fn, the lever la', pivoted to lsaid frame, the lever k, pivoted to said lever 7c and operating the valve-rod o, and the cam p, operating lever 7a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of a steam-cylinder and piston to operate a signal with a clock-train havinga cam on one of its shafts, and a lever operated by said cam, said lever connected to a valveste1n which controls the admission of steam to the cylinder to regulate the occurrence and duration of the signals, said piston being connected With the clock-train to wind it up when operating the signals, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES H. CROSBY. FRANK MOSSBERG.

Vitnesses:

ELIsHA H. HOWARD, BENJ. ARNOLD. 

